Car-coupling



(No Model.)

D. R. COVENHOVEN. OAR COUPLING.

No. 335,330. Patented June 21, 1337;

INVE-NTO R WITNESSES Attorney N. PETERS. Phutolltbvmr. Wnhlinflon. I C- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL R. COVENHOVEN, OF PAINTED POST, NEW YORK.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,330, dated June 21, 1887.

Application filed March 23, 1887. Serial No. 232,144. No model. 7 T

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, DANIEL It. GOVENHOVEN, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Painted Post, in the county of Steuben and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improve ments in car-couplers; and it has for its objects to provide for coupling or uncoupling the cars from either side of the same or the top, to obviate the necessity of the train-hands entering between the ears for the purpose, and the accidents dependent thereupon, as more fully hereinafter specified. These objects I attain by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 illustrates a bottom view of a car, showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical sect-ion of a portion ofa car, showing my invention; Fig. 3, a detached view of a cam forming part of my improved coupler, and Fig. 4 a detached view of one of the longitudinally-movable springs by which the coupling-pin is operated. 1 Referring to the drawings, the letter A indicates the body of the car, which may be of the ordinary or any approved construction; and B, the end'sill of the same, which carries the usual buffers, G.

The letter D indicates a transverse beam lo-' cated back of the sill, and E two longitudinal parallel beams secured between the sill and transverse beam, for the purpose hereinafter explained. To the said longitudinal beams, about midway between their point of attachment, is secured a short rigid transverse crossbar, F, which forms the rear bearing of the draw-bar G. The said draw-bar is provided with a draw-head, H, at its outer end, which has the usual flaring opening for the reception of the coupling-link. The draw-bar is shouldered at I, and between the shoulder and on the beam D is located a spiral spring, K, which holds the draw-bar back normally, but permits of a slightlongitudinal movement to the same, to prevent shocks when the cars to be coupled abut one against the other.

slots in said springs, so that the springs may move longitudinally with the draw-head.

The letterRindicatesa stirrup secured to the frame-work of thelower part of the car and extending under the leaf -springs, before men tioned, the object of which is to limit the movement of the springs, so as to prevent the coupling-pin from being thrown out of place.

The letter T indicates two cams or eccen tries secured to a transverse shaft, U, journaled in bearings \Vat each side of the framework of the car. The cams work under the springs N, so as to raise or lower the same. The shaft projects at each side of the car, and is provided with crank-arms X, by means of which it can be operated to work the cam or eccentric to operate the coupling-pin to couple or uncouple the cars from either side of the same. The shaft U is provided'with a mitered cog-wheel, Y, intermeshing with a similar mitered cog-wheel, Z, mounted upon a vertical shaft extending above the car and journaled in suitable bearings, the upper end of said shaft being-provided with a handwheel, whereby the mechanism for coupling and uncoupling the cars may be operated from the top of the same. It will be seen that the shape of the cam is such as to permit the leaf springs to assume two positions, in one of which the coupling-pin is elevated, so as to engage the coupling-link, and in the other the said pin is held downward, so that the draw-head may re- The link being secured in the draw-head of one car, the coupling-head of the opposite car has the coupling devices arranged so as to hold the coupling-pin down. The two cars are then run together, and the transverse shaft is operated from either side or the top of the car, so as to permit the spring to elevate the pinand engage the link.

To uncouple the cars, the transverse shaft is turned so as to cause the springs to depress the pin and release the link, and thus discngage it.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination, with the longitudinally yielding draw-bar leaf-springs and couplingpin, of the stirrup whereby the movement of the springs and pin'is limited, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of the car, the longitndinally-yielding draw-bar, the coupling-pin extending upwardly through apertures in the draw-head, the bar M, secured to the lower end of the coupling-pin, the leaf- \Vitnesses:

OIL-is. D. DAVIS, M. I. CALLAN. 

